US Elections: Wake-Up Call for Political Strategy

The 2024 US elections have exposed enduring weaknesses and critical oversights in the approaches taken by the left worldwide, traditional media, and political strategists. In an era where populism continues to rise, trust in institutions declines, and social media shapes public discourse, the election results underscore the urgent need for strategic recalibration. Not for democrats, but for the American democracy.

Read more

The Election of the Year

This week, I had the opportunity to get a closer look at the excitement surrounding the American presidential election. As much as possible, I have been following events from this side of the Atlantic from a respectful distance. So far, I’ve mostly considered the prospects for cooperation with potential winners from the EU’s perspective, especially regarding the candidates’ stances on the war in Ukraine and any anticipated changes in their positions.

Read more

Moldovan Referendum: Not Great, Not Terrible?

The first time I went to Moldova it was by accident. Spending my summer vacation with some friends in Romania, we planned to visit the Eastern part of the country – Moldavia. While English, and my native Hungarian, make a clear distinction between Moldova and Moldavia, the Romanian language does not. Both are Moldova – the region, and the country, too. That’s how I ended up in Moldova instead of Moldavia after a two-hour-long wait at the Sculeni border crossing, the main entry point to the Republic of Moldova from Romania.

Read more

Expats During Municipal Elections

Living as an expat in Brussels is one of the most exciting ways to experience life. Part of this excitement comes from the fact that 35% of Brussels’ population, roughly 400,000 people, are not Belgian citizens. Of these, 220,000 are considered expats—highly qualified, well-paid individuals working for international organizations. In this highly livable city, characterized by vast green spaces and a vibrant cultural scene, around 180 nationalities speaking over 100 languages mix.

Read more

Europe’s Response to Russia’s Presidential Elections

Recent international events have underscored the resilience of the West and its commitment to defending democratic values and Ukraine. Despite internal divisions, a bipartisan Congressional decision in the United States allocated $100 billion in foreign aid to support Ukraine’s defense efforts against Russia. This decisive action, supported by Republican and Democratic majorities, demonstrated a unified stance against Russian aggression.

Read more

Tucker Carlson’s Putin interview was a disgrace – but it would be wrong for Europe to sanction him

On 8 February, American journalist and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson interviewed the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, in the Kremlin. This was a highly anticipated and controversial event which drew much criticism: two liberal members of the European Parliament went as far as to suggest that Carlson could be sanctioned by EU authorities for acting as a mouthpiece of the Russian government – a possibility which the European Commission promptly ruled out.  

Read more

Possible Change Means Relief in the Essential Oil Business

A new red-tape mission is about to worsen the lives of Eastern European consumers, producers, and suppliers. Under the influence of the Green Deal, the European Union’s Chemical Agency (ECHA) will transition to a hazard-based approachpremised on preventing any potential threat. Regulators will no longer focus on concrete exposure levels to determine whether a product is safe for consumers, as they used to in the older risk-oriented assessments. Instead, policymakers will use lab-related hypothetical scenarios or advanced statistical tests to label a consumer good as dangerous or remove it entirely from store shelves if it could constitute a problem in any way, shape, or form.

Read more

‘All the Red Lines Had Been Crossed’: CEA Talk with Finland Amb. Jari Vilén

In late March, the Hungarian parliament ratified Finland’s NATO membership, which led to joining it as a member a week later. At the time, some Hungarian officials “spent months telling counterparts that they had no objections, and their parliament was simply busy with other business,” as reported by Politico. “Budapest changed its narrative… with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán… arguing the point that some of his legislators had qualms regarding criticism of the state of Hungarian democracy.” While taking longer than perhaps hoped, the Hungarian parliament ultimately voted to ratify it by a margin of 182 to 6 on March 27.

Read more
Title
.